Apparatus for distributing fertilizers.



" G. KIRKEGAARD.

APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING FERTILIZERS. APPLICATION FILED FEB.24. I916.RENEWED FEB. 4. 1918.

1 2G PfitQIIIJGd Mar. 26, 1918.

. ai 4i may be secured by soldering. The casing 10 enonemnxnenaan, orsnooxLYn-nnw YORK. I

APPARATUS ron ms rnmurnte FERTILIZERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. 1

. Application filed. February 24, 1916, Serial No. 80,108. RenewedFebruary 4, 1918. Serial No. 215,399.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonc KIRKEGAARD, a citizen of the United States,and resident. of Brooklyn,.in the county of Kings. and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Apparatus forDistributing Fertilizers, of which the following a specification. a

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for distributingfertilizers and analogous substances. The object of the invention is toprovide a novel, useful and 'efiicient apparatus for distributingfertilizers and other similar substances which have been compressed intothe form of a car-' tridge-for instance as described in my pendingapplication for patent Serial Number 27,766by subjecting" the cartridgeof the material to the erosive and dissolving action .of a moving columnof Water directed toward the point of application and including novelmeans for increasing and adjusting thepressure of the water ashereinafter set forth.

- With these and other objects in view my I invention comprises anapparatus or device constructed and arranged as hereinafter set forthfor the purposes referred to above, and as illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which Figure l isa sectional view of anapparatus embodying the invention. Figs.

2-, 3 and 4 are diiferent views of the pressure regulating element, andFigs. 5, 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views illustrating the opera ahexagonal nut for convenience injattaching the apparatus.- 16' and 17are gaskets. At the bottom of the receptacle 11 there is formed ashoulder 18 "for the support of a perforated shelf 19 provided with'anelevated imperforate central portion 20 upon which the cartridge '21rests. The shelf is provided with a funnel shaped bottom 22 leading tothe outlet 23 which is threaded externally to receive the coupling 24 ofthe hose 50 (or the'hose coupling where'the apshippe paratus is insertedbetween the hose and the nozzle).

The cartridge 21 is composed of suitable fertilizing ingredients mixedwith a binder and compressed sufiiciently to cause the particles toadhere and form a relatively hard cartrid e, which may be handled,stored and without breaking or waste, and whereb a comparatively largeamount of fertilizing material may be used without requiring a largeapparatus. while watering.

From a practical standpoint the fertilizer as an article of commerce ishandled very much better when it is compressed into the form of acartrid e than when used in bulk or other forms. v'hen the cartridge hasbeen compressed to a'density which experience has taught tofbe necessaryfor the purpose, it is too ard. to be quickly dissolved by means of theordinary water pressure available incities and towns, and which isusually about twenty pounds pressure to the square inch. It is thereforeof great utility and quite necessary to increase the pressure of thewater at, the inlet-13 to cause the cartridge to be dissolved quickly sothat the water may Carr away suficient material for eflicacious appication. 7

therefore provide an element to increase the pressure at the. inlet 13by restricting the volume of water flowing through it. To

this end I place in the cover a disk or other means 25 having anaperture26 adapted to restrict the volume of the water flowing throughsaid inlet so as to increase the pressure considerably at the top of thecartridge Where the water attacks the same, and which aperture 26 isrelatively small as compared with the outlet 23. A further considerationin the construction and operation of my apparatus isthe dimension of thenozzle outlet. As is well known, the ordinary garden hose nozzle may beadjusted from a large opening for producing a stream to .a very smallopening for producing a spray. This is too well known to require morethan a mere statesidering as the latter either the outlet 23 or thenozzle opening, are of the same dimensions,.the water flowing throughthe recep-' tacle 11 moves comparativel neither the pressure nor theriction of the water in passing over the cartridge is stron' enough todissolve the latter quickly. And when the nozzle outlet is adjusted forspraying purposes, a strong back pressure is cre- Patented Mar.26,1918.'I

nent; When the inlet and the outlet, con:

slowly and I ated which still, further retards the movement of the waterthrough the apparatus. Extensive experiments have proven the abovestatements to be true and in Fi s. and 6 I have shown graphically the.difierence in results obtained by using my apparatus without and withthe element 25. In Fig. 5 a water column 35 of about the size when itleaves the faucet is shown directed The cylinder 32 is provided withupon the cartridge. It is evident that the water here flows evenly overthe cartridge and dissolves the latter slowly at the edges because ofthe conditions setforth above, and as indicated by dotted lines 36. InFig. 6, by the use of the disk 25, a fine, but very powerful stream ofwater is directed toward the center 37 of the cartridge and quicklydissolves the latter because. of the greater pressure and concentratedaction;

Besides serving as a pressure increasing means, the disk 25 also servesto adjust the pressure for different kinds of cartridges, and forvarying the dimension of the water column and the direction thereof.Thus in Fig. 3 the disk 28 is provided with a plurality of fine openings29.- In Fig. 4: the openings are in the form of narrow slits 30, and inFig. the disk is dished and providedwith a'central opening 40 and sideopenings 41 for directing the water to attack the cartridge at difierentpoints as shown.

The raised portion of the shelf 19 provides space beneath the cartridgeso that-the water, may also act upon the lower parts thereof. Fig. 1shows an additional means for increasing the effect of the action of theWater upon the cartridge for dissolving the latter uickly. 32 is acylinder slightly larger t an the cartridge for receiving the latter.The cylinder incloses the cartridge and is preferably of imperforatematerial. a bottom 33 of perforated material having an imperforatecentral raised, ortion 3 L. lit is evi'- dent that With the c linder 32the cartridge dissolves very rapi ly when the water is appliedas shownin Fig. 6 because all the pressure is directed upon the cartridge insidethe outer wall thereof, and as the material dissolves the water carriesit away in passing both inside the cylinder and outside the same.Theaction of the water is that ofcoring out the cartridge with greatforce.

When the lower part of the cartridge is reached-by the water, theperforated bottom 33' permits the impregnated water to pass off, as isobvious. The imperforate center 34 of the cylinder bottom serves toresist the direct passage of the water and compels it to spread so as tocause complete dissolution of the parts of the cartridge in the cornersof the cylinder. A couple of narrow prongs 51 may be provided ascentering means for the cylinder within the receptacle 11.

My inventioh may be embodied in various inder adapted to receive thematerial to be dissolved, said cylinder being of less diam:

eter than the said casing and having imperforate sides and a perforatedbottom, a cover for said casing having a water inletfmeans in said coverfor adjusting the pressure of the water flowing through said inlet andmeans for supporting said cylinder centrally within the said casing andspaced a distance below said pressure regulating means to permitunobstructed access of the water to the top of the material within thecylinder.

2. A device of the character described comprising a cylindrical casinghaving a water outlet and forming a receptacle, a cylinder adapted toreceive the material to be dissolved, said cylinder being of lessdiameter than the said casing andhaving imperat forate sides and aperforated bottom, a cover for said casing having a water inlet, meansin said cover for adjusting the pressure of the water flowing throughsaid inlet, a perforated shelf secured in said casing and havt5 ing araised imperforate central portion for supporting said cylindercentrally within the casing and space a distance below the pressureregulating means to permit unobstructed access of the water to the topof the mate- 10c rial within the said, cylinder.

Signed at New York, N. Y., in the county of New York and State of NewYork this 14th day of February A. D, 1916.

GEORG KIRKEGD.

the character described 70

